Hi there,

You've explained it once… twice… maybe three times.

And somehow that important task you gave your team? It's still not done right.

So you chase. You check in. You send that email. That Slack message. 🤨

And before you know it, you're doing the thing you thought you'd already delegated.

Sound familiar?

"How do I make my team more accountable?" is one of the most common questions I get asked in leadership workshops.

This isn't about poor performance. It's about poor clarity, and even more than that, a lack of alignment between you and your direct report.

The Real Problem With Delegation

Here's what I've learned: Accountability lives in the conversation.

Most delegation breaks down before the work even starts. We're all busy, so we fire off a task on Slack or in an email… and then wonder why it's not done right. Or we grab that quick conversation and that doesn't seem to do it either.

But here's the thing, you thought you were clear, you weren't. You assumed they knew the priority, they didn't.

That's where my TRUST framework comes in. Get this right, you will save so much time later.

The 5-Step TRUST Conversation

This framework guides your conversation.

T – Task: "Here's what I need you to do — and why it matters." Describe what a 'good job well done' looks like, including the context and constraints.

R – Remit: Describe the resources & their authority. "Here's what you have access to, and what you're empowered to decide." Unclear authority is where tasks stall.

U – Understanding Check: "Could you talk me through your plan, just so I know I've explained it clearly?" Keep it warm and collaborative, not like a test, it checks you communicated your expectations clearly.

S – Support Plan: "What support would be helpful from me as you go?" Agree your level of involvement, no hovering, no disappearing either. This clarity is such a timesaver for you.

T – Timeline & Tracking: "When should we check back in, and what will you share to show we're on track?" This is about transparency, not control.

Great leaders don't chase accountability, they create it.

Ready to see this in action? I walk through the entire TRUST framework (plus what to do when they still don't follow through) in this week's video. [Watch it here →]​

Try it out this week. I promise this makes such a difference to achieving team accountability and getting stuff off your own plate. Let me know how you get on.

Have a great week.

Helen

P.S. If you're looking for more frameworks that free up your time and boost your team's performance, my Manager OS programme has everything you need to build the systems that make leadership feel less overwhelming. Learn more here →​

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